Various programs have been established to enable consumers and businesses to conveniently and timely facilitate purchases based on a line of credit. Consumers may enjoy some tangible value from utilizing a cash-back card, or a interest-free revolving credit card. However, such cards often include only one feature and/or the interest-free benefit is limited to a short-term, namely only 12-15 months of no interest. In contrast, recent research has demonstrated that choice and flexibility provide a much greater tangible value for a segment of small business consumers, and a value that is not being provided today by transaction card companies.
Improved cash flow management is a core need of any consumer and small business. There are many financial tools that exist to help small businesses and consumers with cash flow management (e.g. lines of credit, promotional periods on credit cards, loans etc.). However, none of these products sufficiently combine these features on a transaction card in a manner which provides easy accessibility and broad scale reach. As such, a need exists for a line of credit that combines the features of existing financial tools to provide the level of payment flexibility that is often desirable when considering the uncertainties typically associated with small business administration.